African potential

Ethiopia has "enormous potential" for tourism according to an expert in the country's trade sector.

Dr. Zoran Jolevski, who has specific knowledge of the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) rules, has suggested that by liberalising the country's financial and telecom industries it could better exploit its tourism potential, The Daily Monitor reports.

Ethiopia lies in close proximity to the Middle East and southern Europe, which Dr Jolevski believes gives the nation a competitive edge over the rest of Africa.

The country also has a long cultural history and diverse natural landscape including the UNESCO world heritage site of the Simien Mountains.

"Tourists in Europe and other parts of the world are looking for new destinations and new things, Ethiopia could easily provide that, given a wide variety of tourist attractions it possesses," Dr Zoran commented to The Daily Monitor.

The Ethiopian telecom and financial sectors are not currently open to foreign investors.

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